Regarding "Perry gives GOP base new reason to appplaud" (Page A1, Saturday), roll call at the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) last weekend was the first audition for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Paul, Christie, Cruz, Perry, Rubio, Ryan, Huckabee, Santorum were all on hand talking passionately about their ideas, experience and why they should lead the charge to take the White House back in 2016. Their appeal to the CPAC participants is, as expected, hugely popular.

The Reaganesque effort to expand the base of our party to include more gender and ethnic diversity is still in the hands of the guard that led our effort in 2012. To mount a winnable strategy against the inevitable Hillary Clinton nomination, we must change our tactics and leadership.

The governors from Oklahoma and New Mexico have two contrasting success stories that will resonate and transcend the partisan divide we have experienced in the last four presidential election cycles.

Oklahoma's Republican governor has an impressive fiscal record of cutting taxes, reducing unemployment and protecting the Second Amendment, including signing the state's open-carry law.

The Republican governor from New Mexico has effectively worked on aggressive educational reforms, led the effort to pass a balanced budget, and has led the most comprehensive GOP Hispanic outreach in the country, all while working with a legislature controlled by Democrats.

Both governors, who are rock stars in their respective states, have impressive resumes. This lifetime Republican is ready to hand the baton to these two remarkable women in 2016 to lead our country to prosperity and the restoration of respect across the globe. Susana Martinez and Mary Fallin will offer the nation a southwestern firebrand of conservatism that will transcend political partisanship, and will mitigate the gender and ethnic alienation that has been evident in the last three election cycles.

On either side of the Texas border live our party's two best assets, who should comprise the complete GOP presidential slate.